Dinner At Neal's
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Sequel to Hosting Dinner. Neal's turn to host dinner for the entire family. Hopefully funny fluff.


_AN: This is the sequel to Hosting Dinner. Our lovely SQ family gathers at Neal's house for dinner. I don't own Once or its characters. This is just hopefully funny fluff. I apologise that this took me so long to get up but hopefully you'll enjoy it. :)_

"You do realise you're being crazy right?"

"I am not crazy Emma, we are winning this!" yes it sounds petty but I don't like to lose.

"Gina, I know what Neal can and cannot cook, there's no way his meal will be better than ours"

"Em, you flooded the kitchen and I had to get stitches" I say rolling my eyes looking down at the now small scar on my forearm.

She comes up behind me and rests her head on my shoulder, "Don't sweat it Gina, it's just a silly bet"

I raise my eyebrow at her in challenge, "Do you want to have to serve Neal dinner for a week?"

She shakes her head, "No way"

A thought occurs to me, "If Neal can't cook how exactly is he going to feed everyone?"

A mischievous smile appears on her face to match my own, "Time to do some digging?" she asks.

"Know your enemy Miss Swan" I grin at her.

She laughs, "Alright, well I know Neal and the only thing he ever cooked for me was pizza and more often that he just ordered it in"

"He better not serve pizza" she laughs at my disgusted expression.

"What's wrong with pizza?"

"Have you ever seen the grease from a pizza Emma? It's insanely unhealthy"

"I used to live off pizza babe, it's not that bad"

I wrinkle my nose, "Emma, that's terrible, you need vegetables"

"Ew" she grumbles.

"They're good for you Em"

"Not for taste"

I roll my eyes at her, "Anyway Emma, think. How is Neal going to feed people?"

"Hm." The pair of you think for several moments before she suddenly snaps her fingers, "Granny's!"

"What?"

"Gina, he basically lives off the food there and he and Ruby are super close, so I bet she'd give him food"

I nod, "Okay, that makes sense actually, you ask Ruby but be subtle Emma"

She smiles, "I'm always subtle babe"

At my disbelieving look, she looks affronted; "I am Regina, I am Sheriff after all, I know how to investigate"

I smile at her before leaning in to give her a gentle kiss, "I know Emma, I'll let you deal with that side of things and I'll think of something to deal with the Neal side of things"

"You're not going to threaten him are you?" she asks with a hint of concern.

"No Emma" I say rolling my eyes, "I was thinking of sending in our secret weapon to find information for us"

She frowns in confusion for a moment, "Henry?"

"Henry. Let's face it our son is super stealthy and he's good at getting information"

She holds up her hand for a high five which I return as she yells, "Operation Dinner is ago"

"That is an awful codename Emma. We need a stealthy name like Operation Fox"

"Operation Fox? What has that got to do with dinner?"

"Exactly" I smile at her.

She rolls her eyes, "Fine, Operation Fox, now let's go, you get Henry and go to Neal's and I shall see if I can get Ruby to let anything slip"

"Sounds good" I say before pulling her into a kiss, "Love you"

She grins, "Love you too"

* * *

Henry waves and runs over when he sees me waiting outside of the school which immediately makes me feel warm and happy, after over a year of him barely even acknowledging me when I picked him up or accusing me of evil things it's nice to see him greet me with a smile.

"Hey Mom"

"Hey Henry, how was school?" I go to hug him before he pulls away mumbling "Mom my friends are right over there, is it not enough that you and Ma totally embarrassed me in front of Ava?!"

I shrug guessing he must be reaching that wonderful "keep my parents away from me at all times" phase of adolescence and remind myself of one of the things Archie made me learn; not to take it personally.

"Sorry honey, I need your help with something"

He looks at me with a puzzled frown that is so Emma and gestures for me to elaborate.

"Emma and I need you for part of a mission"

He returns your mischievous smirk with a toothy grin of your own, "Does it have a codename?"

"Yes, Operation Fox"

"Cool name, fill me in on the details"

* * *

By the time we reach Neal's house he is all filled on the plan and luckily he agreed to the espionage scheme.

"Okay Henry, you know what you need to do?" I ask.

He nods, "Yeah Mom, I'll call you later with intel"

"Okay honey I love you, I'll see you tomorrow"

"See you tomorrow Mom"

Neal appears on the porch, "Hey Henry, hey Regina"

"Hey Neal, take care Henry, love you"

"Love you too Mom, bye"

"Bye, see you tomorrow Neal" I say with a small smirk hoping to rattle him before the dinner battle tomorrow.

He nods, "Prepare to lose Sis"

I laugh, "Oh Neal, don't you know I don't lose?"

"We'll see" he laughs as I wave and walk away.

* * *

It's a slow day at the mayor's office so I end up just heading home after dropping Henry off. Since no-one else is going to be here since Emma I decide to just put on my comfy clothes. I smile as I pull on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt seeing Emma's clothes littered around the room. Before that would have driven me absolutely crazy and it still annoys me that the damn woman is apparently incapable of putting clothes inside a closet or laundry basket but at least it means that she's around.

I just make it downstairs when the doorbell rings and I frown wondering who it could be. I pause before opening the door but then realise that whoever it is will just have to deal with my casual appearance, it's not like I have time to change before greeting whoever it is. I peek my head around the door slowly, I don't mean to but can't seem to help it, ever since the curse breaking I'm still mildly wary that it will be another angry mob. I breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing my mother who gives me a curious look upon seeing the sweats.

"What on earth are you wearing?"

I laugh, "They're called sweats mother and they're very comfortable"

"Very strange" she muses.

"It's a slow day so I figured I'd have a lazy afternoon" I tell her.

"Would you be willing to help your mother instead?" she asks.

I frown confusedly, "With what mother?"

"I may have promised Mr Cassidy that I would provide dessert for tomorrow"

"Oh, so what's the problem?"

"I don't know how to use the technology of this land for baking"

I try and stifle a laugh but fail before gesturing for her to come inside, "Come in mother, what are we making?"

* * *

Pie-making went surprisingly well given my mother's abilities with technologies so now we are sitting in the living room waiting for it to cook. "Shall we have some wine?" she asks.

"Mother, its 2 o'clock in the afternoon"

"So? You're in your strange lazy clothing and we're making pie together, why not have some wine?"

I roll my eyes, "It would probably be better if we had clear heads"

"Regina, lighten up" she says grabbing the bottle anyway.

I shake my head and frown when I smell something strange.

"Mom, do you smell that?"

She frowns sniffing the air before nodding.

The alarm above suddenly rings out and I run into the kitchen to see smoke pouring out of my oven. "Mother?!" I scream, "What did you do?"

"Just did what you said, I set it to 350 C"

"Mother! I said 350 F not Celsius!"

"What's the difference?"

"You set it way too high mother and now my kitchen is on fire!"

"Oh calm down Regina, I'm sure we can put it out"

I frown before yelling "NO MAGIC!" having seen the raincloud she's started to form.

"Oh why not?" she pouts.

"I promised Henry; just grab me that fire extinguisher"

"Where is it?" she asks. I wish she'd hurry since the smoke is now rushing out of the oven.

"Found it" she says proudly before handing it to me.

I can vaguely hear sirens pulling up outside as I cough from the smoke. My mother pats me on the back and pulls me out of now smoke-filled kitchen as the fire-fighters come in.

"You…destroyed…my…kitchen!" I cough glaring at my mother.

"Sorry" she says as a paramedic tries to get my attention. "Mayor Mills, we need to get you on a stretcher"

"I'm" cough, "Fine"

My mother shakes her head, "You're not honey, get on the stretcher"

"This is all your fault!" I wheeze, "You destroyed my kitchen!"

"That's what you're worried about? Your kitchen?!"

* * *

Finally after two hours of cajoling I manage to convince the doctor that I am fine enough to go home, there's no way I'm staying in here overnight. My mother tries to convince me to stay but it's not happening.

"Regina, honey perhaps you should stay here"

"No"

"Regina" she says, I can hear the scolding in her tone.

"Mother, I'm fine, I just want to go home and see what the damage is"

"Again, sweetie I am sorry"

"I know mom", I do know that, when I first got to this land I had to learn all this stuff as well so it's not like I can expect her to know. I look down at my watch, when is Emma going to get here?"

We drop my mother off at her house promising to pick her up tomorrow and head on back to our home. I yawn in the car, feeling exhaustion creep in.

"Want me to carry you in?" Emma asks noticing the yawn. She gets very coddly when I get injured or sick but I can't say I mind. Normally I protest a little but today I'm insanely tired.

"Yes please" I mumble. She stares at me in surprise before smiling happily.

"How bad is our kitchen?" I ask her.

"It's not too bad, I spoke to the fire-fighter and he says we'll probably just need to replace the oven"

"That's better than I thought, did you hear from Henry?"

"Yes, he says that he couldn't find out what Neal was going to do and I spoke to Ruby earlier and she said she refused to let him use Granny's food because it would defeat the point of the bet"

"Excellent, Ruby knows well" I say with a smirk.

"Really? You get your lungs filled with smoke and you're still more concerned with the bet?" she laughs.

"I'm fine Emma, but we are not losing this bet"

"Well we know dessert's already a bust"

I laugh letting her pick me up and carry me inside.

* * *

"Do you think your mother tried making another dessert?" she asks me as we get ready to leave.

I shrug, "I hope not given how yesterday's attempt went"

She laughs, "True, but I like dessert babe"

"I know you do dear but we could just have dessert here" I smile and add on a wink.

"Hm, I guess that will do" she says mock defeatedly.

I play hit her, "Hey, joke!" she laughs wrapping me in her arms before kissing me.

"I know dear"

My phone rings jerking us out of the moment and I reach over to grab it, "Hi Mom"

"Yes I know, we're on our way"

I click the phone shut, "My mother is wondering where we are"

She rolls her eyes, "I guess this is our cue to get going?"

* * *

My mother manages to switch between overly concerned about my health and ranting about us being ten minutes late to pick her up seamlessly. It truly is a remarkable talent. I roll my eyes as she once again mutters something about punctuality.

"Mother, we aren't even late to the actual dinner itself, stop complaining"

"I will not, when you say you're going to pick someone up at a certain time then you should be there at that time"

"Well perhaps you shouldn't destroy people's ovens then"

"How are they even connected? And besides I said I'm sorry" she moans.

"And we said we were sorry about being late yet you're still moaning about that" I argue.

"Nice" Emma smirks.

My mother glares at her but Emma just laughs as we pull up to Neal's house.

"Did you two ever manage to find out what we're eating tonight?" she asks from the backseat.

"How did you know?" Emma splutters in surprise.

"Well Miss Subtlety here kept texting Henry asking if he had information, I was able to put two and two together"

"Gina! And you moaned at me for subtlety" she tuts.

"Ruby told me today that you just straight out asked her! What was subtle about that?"

"Whatever, either way all we know is not Granny's"

"I like Granny's food" Cora grumbles.

"Using someone else's food would obviously be a forfeit of the bet" I say.

Emma rolls her eyes at the competitiveness. "Promise me you won't do anything deliberate to sabotage dinner Gina"

I roll my eyes back at her, "Fine, I promise, either way we're going to win"

"This is going to be a long night"

* * *

Henry answers the door which surprises you. "Hey Moms, hey Nana"

"Hello Henry" she says, "You father isn't greeting his guests?" she asks.

"Mother" I hiss.

"What?"

I roll my eyes. Nevermind.

"Dad's in the kitchen and he won't let me in. He wouldn't even let me in when I heard him yell and scream"

Emma frowns, "Uh he screamed?"

"Yeah, I don't know what he's doing in there"

"What whose doing what where?" Belle's voice sounds from behind us.

"Neal is apparently doing something in the kitchen that made him scream" I say.

"Well this bodes well for dinner" Rumple says.

"This means we'll win!" Emma groans at my excitement. "It's just a bet Gina"

* * *

We're all sitting around the dinner table since Henry has guided everyone to their seats. I smile proudly at him as he ushers everyone around. Emma pokes me in the side, "That is all your doing" she grins.

"Definitely" I smile, "He makes a good host though"

"Hm, very professional"

"We could use him for events"

I laugh, "Events?"

She smiles, "What if dinners in the future? We could have him host for us"

"True" I nod.

Eventually a very frazzled and sauce splattered Neal appears from the kitchen and greets everyone. I smirk at his dishevelled appearance, "You're not supposed to wear the food Neal"

He rolls his eyes at me, "My cooking got a little out of hand but don't worry it's still going to blow your dinner out of the water" he grins before retreating back to the kitchen to gather our meals.

Dinner turns out to be spaghetti and meatballs which I will begrudgingly admit tastes very nice. I catch my brother's eye across the table and upon seeing me eating his food without complaint gives me a smug grin. I glare at him, well the best I can with a mouth fall of spaghetti.

Neal offers wine around the table and we all accept, well except Belle, which is odd. I frown watching her sip at her water.

"Why aren't you having wine?" Henry asks.

"Oh I just don't feel like it today Henry" she replies nervously and I can tell she's lying. I can tell Henry knows she is as well.

She looks to Rumple for help having caught the disbelieving looks. "Tell them dearie" he says.

"Tell us what?" Snow asks.

"I'm pregnant" she says with a grin on her face.

Both Neal's and my cutlery drop to our plates with a clang. Snow and Charming start congratulating them and I look over at my mother who has paled and quietly excuses herself.

I look at Neal but I can't read his expression. I mumble congratulations to my father who I notice is looking at me worriedly before excusing myself and going to find my mom.

* * *

"Mom?" I ask peering out into the garden, she doesn't answer though I can see her standing by the tree in the back.

I walk over and hear her sniff. She's crying. I freeze. I have no idea what to do. Since she didn't have her heart while I was growing up I never saw her cry then. In fact the only time I've seen her cry was when I told her I loved her and those were happy tears. So now I don't know how to react. It's very upsetting to see her cry.

"Mom?" I ask again hearing my own voice crack.

She wipes at her eyes, "Regina" she says before pulling me into a hug. I reciprocate wrapping my arms around her as well. "Mom are you okay?"

She hears the concern in my tone, "I will be sweetheart, it's just" she sighs before continuing, "I ripped my heart out because I loved him Regina and when you put my heart back in those feelings came back. I am happy for your father; it's just hard seeing someone that you loved so much be happy with another"

I nod, "I understand that, maybe it's time to try and find someone else?" I ask unsure of what to say here.

"I know honey but I guess I just need a little more time." She sighs resting her hand on my cheek, "How do you feel about it?"

I shrug, "I don't know" I can feel tears threatening to build in my eyes and try to wipe them away before she sees them. "Oh honey" she says pulling me back into a hug.

"I am happy for them" I say, "It's just, this is going to sound silly but I just got used to him being my Dad and Neal being my brother I guess I just don't know how to react to having another sibling"

"I know honey" she says and begins to rub soothing circles on my back, "It's not silly, I think most people have that kind of anxiety when they find out their parent is having another child. It's okay to be a little jealous or a little upset"

I nod, "Thanks Mom"

"What for honey?"

"Just being here" I say. It's nice being able to talk to her like this.

She smiles, "Always. By the way if it helps, I think your dinner was much better, way more entertaining"

I laugh, "That's one vote in my favour"

* * *

You both re-enter the house and see that everyone has left the dining room. Your mother goes into the living room where your father, Belle, the Charmings, Henry and Emma are. Emma catches your eye as your mom goes in and mouths "You okay?" I nod before going to find Neal in the kitchen.

I walk in the door to find him staring intensely at his own fridge. "Telling you anything interesting?" I say sidling up beside him.

"No" he says.

"Your spaghetti was really good."

"Thanks, did I beat your dinner?"

"My mother says mine was better"

"There's an unbiased vote"

"Surely everyone's vote is biased?"

He shrugs, "True, we could be mean and make Dad pick"

I laugh, "Yeah"

You both settle into a silence for a few moments before he breaks it; "So Dad's having another kid"

"That he is. Are you okay?"

"I have no idea. You?"

"I don't know. I'm happy for them but at the same time…"

"You're kind of jealous?"

"You too?"

He nods, "It's odd because I didn't feel jealous of you because he missed out on a lot of your life too but this kid is going to have him it's whole childhood"

I nod, "Same here, plus this means we're going to have a brother or sister who is younger than our own son"

"Oh yeah, I hadn't even considered that, I'm sure that will make the whole family tree thing way less complicated"

I laugh. "Let's just hope he never has to try and draw one"

"Yeah, hey since you're out here, help me clean-up" he says throwing a dishtowel at me.

I catch it, "Seriously? I'm a dinner guest!"

He flicks a bubble of water at me, "Nope, you're my sister and since everyone else is in there, you can help me"

"Fine" I say "But don't splash me"

"What like this?" he asks flicking water at me.

I grin at him before flicking the towel at him, "How about a challenge?" he asks.

"What kind of challenge?"

"Water fight" he says flicking more water at me.

"Neal!" I squeal before throwing a damp sponge at him.

He laughs, "Whoever wins the fight wins the bet"

"Oh you're on!" I say before flicking up some suds at him. "Are there any rules?" I ask.

"It's a water fight Gina, there are no rules!" he says before throwing another sponge at me.

* * *

A few minutes later and both of you are soaked and laughing. Neither of you hear the door open but I do hear a camera flash and turn to fix the grinning Emma with a glare but it fails since there is still soap dripping out of my hair.

"So what's happening here?" she asks.

A rather bemused crowd has formed behind her and Rumple stares at Neal and I. "Water fight" Neal says with a shrug.

"A water fight?" Henry asks. "Seriously guys? I thought I was meant to be the kid here?"

"It's to settle the bet Henry, whoever wins the fight wins the bet"

"Oh god not this bet again" Rumple says.

I turn to look at Neal and we share a look before Neal says, "So who do you think won Dad?"

He looks like a deer in headlights and I can't help laughing at his expression, "Well um I don't know" he says.

Neal looks at me before mouthing "Sponges at the ready?" I nod before saying "Vote or be sponged"

"What?" he asks confused.

"You have to vote or you get hit sponged" Neal says.

"It's unfair, I can't vote for one of my children over the other" he says. At this Neal and I share another look before nodding and throwing the sponges at him, both of us breaking into laughter at his shocked expression and the looks of the rest of your family.

He hands you another sponge before turning to the crowd in the doorway, "So who would like to vote next?"

* * *

After a water-fight that everyone except your father and Belle joined in on and somehow ended up spanning Neal's entire house, my brother begrudgingly accepted defeat after being cornered by Henry, Emma and I.

"You do realise that by serve you dinner all week I am just going to take you to Granny's right?" he asks.

"That's fine by me" Emma says.

"And me" Henry adds.

"Then I guess those terms are agreeable Neal. Told you I'd win" I say with a smile.

"It was three against one" he protests.

"Never underestimate the Swan-Millses" Henry shouts.

"Swan-Millses?" I ask.

"Swan for Ma, and Millses because of you and me" he answers.

I nod, it has a nice ring to it. "Team Swan Mills!" Emma shouts holding both her hands up for a tri-five which Henry and I reciprocate.

Henry yawns, "I guess it's time for us to get going" I say.

"Hold on" Emma quickly says, "Neal do you have any bin-bags or something?"

I frown in confusion, "What for?"

"We are soaking wet and I'd rather not ruin the Bug's interior"

I roll my eyes, "I doubt water will hurt the death trap dear"

She rolls her eyes at me, "One day you'll admit you love that car"

"Never"

* * *

Luckily Neal has bin-bags and once Emma has lined the car inch by inch with them she decides that we can enter. I smile at her fussiness. Henry and my mother get in since we need to take her back as well.

Before Emma gets in I pull her in for a hug and kiss her. I pull away gently at her confused but happy look, "Victory kiss" I smirk. "Told you we'd win" I say before pulling her in for another kiss as our son groans from the Bug.


End file.
